Frame for vehicles



25 Y out unduly raising thef'itrame above the plane oi the axles of the vehicles or requiring ank Patented @et 2,- 1923. i

Y inane RALPH ia. novnaon oriannnnrrn, NEW Hairsnmnf 'renna non vimcrins."

To all eo/'wmfi may cofnccwt.'

Be it known th atl, RALPH M. LovnJoY, a citizen ci the United States, andl resident ot Meredith, county lof Belknap, State of N ew Hampshire, have invented an improvement Vin Frames for Vehicles, o'f which the following description, in connection'with the acf- Ac'ompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts. l p i VYThis inventionrelates to improvements in vehicle frames Yand more particularly oit-thetype which comprise a part of the chassis or" automobiles and the object oi' the invention is to provide a 'rameo this typeof more rigid construction 'than has heretofore been produced' and better adapted to withstand both transverse and torsional strains. i

'A further object of the invention is to pro-- vide a trame oi' this character which will be somewhat'wideror deeper than usual vtypes of automobile frames, but so constructedv as to permit the springs to beY mounted directly under the main 'portion of Vthe frame withmain portion of the frame.

,. for 'vehicles Y VA further object of the invention is to provide a rameof the character speciiied which may be adapted for use'in a novel forni of .spring embodying the desirable features of Vboth a cantileverand semi-elliptic spring, such a spring being the subject `matter of my prior application No. 236,461, filed May 25, 1918, for spring construct-ions Another object of the invention is to provide the side bars cita vehicle traine with means for permitting `a member, such vas "a brake actuating rod, to be rpassed through the side frames at a relatively smallangle Applicationiled Apr1`i25, 1922. Serial No. 556,488.

to theplane of the side bar without weakening the side bars. y Y Other objects and features of the invention will more fullyl appear from the fol lowingdescription and the accompanying` drawings and will be pointed'out in the.

claims.

A )referred embodiment of the invention is il ustrated. in the accompanying drawings Vwhich show-va su'liicient portion `of the side bars and other members of the frame to disclose theV invention. f

ln vthe drawings: f Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the sidev barsY ot a vehicle" frame, illustratingalso portions of the springs connected'thereto,

and in dotted lines the form and position of a preferred Atype off'median cross girder; Fig. QfisL a plan view of the same, the

cross .girder and other connectingmembers being broken away; l l

' Fig. 3 is afvertical transverse section on a plane indicated 'by the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

`Fig. 4l is a perspective view of the Vfront end portion of onel of theside bars viewed p .from the inside ofthe frame; and,

Fig. 5 isa'detail'horizontal sectional view on line vv5 5, Fig.v 1. f i

The present invention is illustrated herein as embodied in the frame of an' automobile of a standard type although it 'will be understood that the invention may be emj 'ployedjin connection lwith other' types of vehicles and other constructions.

The vehicle frameillustrated herein comprisesA a pair of complementary side. bars' 1 having a downwardly curved front end portion 2 provided with a suitable bracket or boss 3 for the attachment of the usual spring shackle anda rear' reversely curved end portion t also provided at its end with a bracket or boss 5` adapted to be connected to a spring l shackle. )The median or central part of each sidebar is provided with an offset depending portion'adapted to give greater'depth to the.

side bar' and consequently"greater` strength `and also to provide means whereby the springs" may be supported directly under the main portion of the l:side bars.v

Asillustrated heremrthe side bar comprises a main portion which may beeither in the form of an angle, iron or channel coml prising a vertical wall 6 and a horizontal lower wall V7' extending the fulllen'gth of the frame' andk may also, but! not necessarily,

have an upper horizontalv wall 8 alsoex- 7 4,

' tending Vlongitudinallyi of the frame The median or central portion of the side bar is provided with a downwardly extending v u thefside bar. The brackets 13. desirably are provided Vwith vweb 9 preferably" integral withthe lower wall 7V and desirably is provided at its lower edge with a flange which extends inwardly of the frame.' `This flange desirably` com prises a central, horizontal portion 10 and 'upwardly inclined portions l1 and l2 which merge respectively into the front and rear portions of the lower wall 7 of the main poi'- yThis central depend spectito resistance against transverse and torsional strains.

. lyV thus offsetting the central portion of the. frame means may be provided for Vsecuring the springs of the vehicle directly beneath the mainportions of the side bars.

In the preferred construction illustratedV herein Ybrackets or chairs V13 vare secured to the vertical wallV 6 of the side bar and are Yprovided with bases le extending beneath Y thehorizontal wall of the main portionof p vertical strengthening Ywebs15.y 1 x j v YSuitable means are providedfor clamping the springs to `these brackets.` As illustrated Y herein bolts lpwhicli extend do wnwardly V from the'basesof the brackets, are spaced apart a .distance-equal tol or s lightlygreater than the width of. the leaves of the spring.V

Clamping plates 17, mounted on the bolts 16,

engage the under leaves ofthe springsY and 18 on the boltsrl. Y

V are forced ,into clamping position by nuts -In the preferred construction the springs comprise one or Amore long leaves l9having a series of progressively shorter leaves 2O superimposed thereon, theends of the leaves 20 being V,clamped in the brackets above de-V scribed. The spring also comprises a s eriesV of progressively shorter-leaves2l located beneath the main leaf or leaves 119.".The

opposite 'end of the leaf 19 is connected by a spring shackle (not shown)` to the bracket Vor boss upon the Ydownwardly ,curved end "lof the sidebar;`

7"lfheside bars maybe secured together at theirends by any suitable spacing means, such as, tubular membersf22. The. central portions, however, of theside bars desir- .ably Vare ,securedbya tubular member, preferablyrectangular in form, having'its ends conforming-to, and preferably fitting, the

Y 'contour ofthe main and oifsetcentral por 23 and24f connected by 'a top plate 25 Vand a bottom plate V26 having suitableiianges whichv are rivetedto. the plates 23 and 24.

. The plates 23and2t are provided atV their ends with laterally extending flanges 27`and 28 which are riveted both to the vertical wall 6A and the web 9 of the side'bars. Y Y

By reason of -this n'constructionV a very rigid girder is provided which is adapted to withstand transverse, longitudinal and torsional strains.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing ymeans by which a member, such as a brake actuatimg` bar, may. be passed through the vertical wall of the side barat a relatively slight angleto the plane of the wall of the sidebar without weaken-4 ing the same for if lthe wall of the side bar .V Y

member' to pass through itat a relatively was merely slotted `to permit a rod or other vention disclosed herein the lwall 6 of each Side bar is provided with an indented Offset portion 29 which presents a recess 30 having an end wall 3l whichextends atan abrupt angle to the plane of the wall 6. The wall 31 is provided with an apertu're'32through which a member, such as a'brake rodrS-for a front wheel brake mayY pass fat a relatively slight angle to the plane of the wallg.

Byreason of this constructiontlie strength ofthe sidebar i s no t diminished;. VVK l lit-will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is illustrative and knot restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangenient of parts may bemade Within the spirit and scope of the following claims,

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by L13?- ters Patent, is: Y 'Y l. A. frame construction for vehicle s com-V Y prising a pair of connected complementary metallic side bars having maiilshannl P01 Y tions and median offset portions comprising webs extending downwardly from the lower walls of the channels and provided ywithinin-V wardly extending flanges@ J 2; A frame construction for vehicles Ycome prising a pair of connected complementary metallic sidebarshaving main channel por.-` tions andmedian offset vportions' compris-- 'ing webs extending downwardly fromfthe .lower walls of the channels andpiovided with inwardly extending flanges t-he central portions of which lic in parallelism with the lower wall of the `channel andthe end por.- tions of which incline toward and Vrner'ge into saidflower walls?. Y

iio

3. A frameconstructionfor vehicles com# prising a pair of connected complementary metallic side bars having main channel por-V tions and median offset portions comprising webs extending downwardly from the lower g walls of the Ychannels and `provided.with in wardly extending flanges, and spring-supchannel portions and provided with inwardly extending flanges and means connecting said side bars including a central rectangular tubular cross girder having its ends iitting upon and connect-ed to said Vchannel members and said odset portions.

A metallic side bar construction for vehicles comprising a plate presenting a vertical anda horizontal Wall, a median ottset portion comprising a web .dependingV from said horizontal Wall and a spring-supporting bracket secured to said plate pro-V vided with spring-clamping means extending beneath said horizontal Wall Vinto ythe space provided by said odset portions.

6. fr metallic side bar construction for vehicles comprising a plate presenting a vertical and a horizontal Wall and a median olset portion comprising a ianged Web depending from said horizontal Wall and having a horizontal central `portion and inclined end portions merging into the` horizontal Wall of said plate. y Y

7. Ametallic side bar construction for vehicles comprising aplate having avvertical and a horizontal-Wall and an indented integral offset in said vertical'wall having an aperture through-its end andpresenting a recess extending longitudinally of the plate adapted to permit the passage through said plate or' a member having relatively small axial linclination to the plane of said vertical Wall.

8. A frame construction for vehicles Vconiprising a pair of complementary side bars each presenting a vertical and a horizontal Wall and a median olset vertical Web.` depending from said horizontal Wall, the end portionsl oi. said web merging into said horizontal Wall and av rectangular tubular cross girder having its ends fitting said vertical plate and Web and provided'. With fianges connectedto said vertical-plate and Web.'

In testimony whereof, I have. signed myl' name to this specification. 1 Y Y RALPH M. LOVEJ OY. 

